Catchup cap



Oct. 28, i924. 1,513,135'

,1. s. B. SMITH CATCHUP CAP Filed Jan. ll. 1923 f @www JAMES STERLING B. SMITH,

l 1,513,135 PATENT orrica.

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

C Arcinr CAP.

Application led January 1.1, 1923. Serial No. 611,937.

T 0 all whom t may @once/m:

Be it known that I, JAMES STERHNG B. SMITH, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county oflKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catchup Caps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to catchup caps, that is to say, to those caps that are particularly adapted for use for catchup containers or bottles, the object of the invention being to provide an improved cap of this kind comprising a combined sealing and reusable cap.

t Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved catchup cap having a long depending skirt or flange effective to seal the container at the top thereof and be secured thereto adjacent to the lower edge of the long flange or skirt.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improve-d catchup cap having\a crimped lower edge.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved catchup cap having a reinforced or hemmed lower edge.

A further object ofthe invention is the provision of an improved catchup cap comprising a two-piece cap having a reinforced or hemmed lower edge provided with crimps therein and which cap is adapted to seal the bottle at the top thereof, and to be secured thereto adjacent to the lower edge of the cap and relatively remote from the sealing point, whereby the cap not only seals but is capable of reuse.

In practice it has been the custom to usetwo caps in sealing a catchup bottle, one of which seals at the top of the bottleonly or to use a stopper for the bottle, and then to cover this sealing cap or stopper with a deep cap, thereby forming a cover for the sealing part of thebottle, so that when the stopper is removed or the sealing cap removed, the deep cap can then be reused to preserve, as far as possible, the contents of the bottle, since the shorter sealing cap is not `easily replaceable, or becomes mutilated in the first removal thereof.

In other words, in practice a sealing cap having a relatively short flange or skirt is provided which is secured to the bottle addjacentto the mouth thereof. In the present instance it will be observed that this .im-

proved catchup cap seals at the top, but is secured-to the bottle at a point relatively remote therefrom, or -at the shoulder of the bottle, and by reason of its construction it can be readily removed by the use of a coin without mutilation thereof, so that the4 cap ran be readily reused and in the reuse thereof will effectively seal the bottle. Thus, 'in the present improvement o-ne cap takes the place of two or the place of a stopper, andv a ldeep cap, so that the present cap forms a combined sealing and reusable catchup cap adapted to seal the mouth of the bottle at thetop thereof, and to be locked thereto around the shoulder of the bottle, usually located a considerable distance below the top of the bottle.

The presentimproved catchup cap is comparatively'simple in construction, and effective in operation, while at the same time is more durable in use, and presents a pleasing appearance. It can be readily made of tin plate of comparatively light gauge, whereby it can be sealed more easily and more eiliciently on the container, since it will conform more 4effectively to the shape of the glass finish of the container, and yet notf withstanding it can be made of lighter metal, the construction is such that it will be a materially stronger cap while in the preferred form thereof, the rustin of the edge of the cap is effectively retarded, and the danger of cutting the hands prevented, while the cap can be more readily removed and replaced, and this without the use of a special tool for` that purpose.

Those forms of crimped caps with which I am familiar have-a relatively short flange for securing the cap to the bottle adjacent to the mouth thereof, and not to the bottle at the shoulder thereof located relatively remote from the; mouth, and in the construction of these short crimped caps known as crown seal caps because they seal the bottle at the top' or crown thereof, it has been necessary to make them of comparatively 'there was always the ever-present danger of ,cutting the hands of the user of the cap, a

serious disadvantage at all times, with a `rusted cap.

In the present improvement, however, by the provision of aarenforced edge, the

feo

caps can be, as stated, made of a relatively lighter metal and yet be suiliciently strong to enable them to be pried ofl" without the mutilation thereofz While in the preferred form thereof the liability of cutting the hands is prevented, land moreover they can be readily reused to effectively reseal the bottle.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a View partly 'in section f thisl improved catchup cap; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form thereof; Fig. 3 is a side view of this improved catchup cap without the hemmed or reinforced edge. Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in-the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of de-I scription and not of limitation.

The usual catchup bottle designated herein as 2 has a mouth 3 and relatively rey mote therefrom a shoulder 4. The cap in the form thereof shown herein preferably comprises a two-piece cap consisting of ya top 5 and a relatively long depending ila-nge or skirt 6 inter-locked as at 7 in some suitable manner with the top. In catchup caps this skirt usually has a depth at least substantially equal to one-half of the diameter of the cap. .This skirt or flange is provided with a series of knurls or corrugationsl,`

which facilitate the removal andreplacing of the cap, While also strengthening or re-v inforcing the same, and has its lower edge bent or turned upon itself as at 9 to form a hem or reinforced edge.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the lower edge is bent inwardly, which is the preferred construction, while in Fig. 2it is bent outwardly. In Fig. 3 the edge is not bent at all. In all forms of this cap, the lower edge is flared outwardly and crimped therearound'as at 11 and the crimped edge of the cap is compressed as at 12, usually in the first instance, by machinery around the shoulder of the bottle, thereby forming an annular locking recess conforming to the shape of the shoulder of the container and which forms a holding element to secure or lock the cap in place on the bottle, While between the mouthof the bottle and the top of the cap is located a suitable liner, whichl seals the cap to the bottle when the same is located thereon. While the cap can be removed in various ways, nevertheless it can be easily removed by the use ofv a `coin inj back or away from the bottle and interfere with the proper locking thereof. The bent 75.

lower ed e preferably hugs the lower portion of t e cap, and is preferably crimped v to correspond with the flaring lower edge of the'cap and thus forms a reinforced edge, which will permit the repeated reuse of a coin to pry the cap off of the bottle, while at the same Itime the cap will always spring into place and therefore can be readily snapped'on after it has been once secured thereon around the shoulder of the bottle to effectively seal the bottle at the top/ thereof throughthe medium of the usual liner or packing disk l0.

In the manufacture of this improved cap, the top is formed separately by cutting suitably sized disks from the sheet Vmetaland the depending flange or skirt of the cap having also been formed by cutting suitable strips from the metal and bent into a cylinder and suitably seamed in any desired manner, the top and the depending flange are then seamedV or interlocked in some suchV manner as that shown in Fig. 1. The corrugations and the outturned flaring crimped portion with the lower edge bent upon itself is then formed in the flange, although this could be done before the skirt is made into a cylinder. Upon application of the ca to. a bottle and suitable pressure in the rst instance. the crimped lower edge of the cap is suitably reduced to engage the shoulder of the bottle and lock the cap thereon. As this annular locking recess 12 thereafter retains its shape it will in the subsequent application'of the cap lock it on the-shoulder of the container and consequently by the mere use of a coin the cap can be pried olf without mutilation or injury thereto and re-v used bymerely snapping it on.

Y I believe I am the first to provide a catch- 115 up cap having a crimped lower edge, or such. a cap having a reinforcing hemmed lower edge, as by bending or turning such edge bottle at the top and is loc ed to the shoulder thereof relatively remote from the top. In Short Ibelieve I am the first to provide a catchup cap which will seal a catchup bot.- tle without the necessity of using a separate stopper or sealing cap and which is readily `removable by means of a coin, and is effectively replacedby merely' snapping it on. In other words a catchup cap which itself both seals the bottle and is locked thereto without the necessity of an independent sealing cap or separate stopper.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, struc- 1. A cap having a depending skirt havingan annular shoulder receiving recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a' crimped edge inclined outwardly whereby on the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on.

2. A cap having a depending skirt having an annular shoulder receivingr recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereaftersnapped on.

3. A cap comprising a sealing top having a depending skirt. having an annular shoulder receiving recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on. i

4. A catchup cap having a depending skirt having a depth at least substantially equal to one-half of its diameter and having an annular shoulder receiving f recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on.

5. A cat/:hup cap comprising a sealing top` having a depending skirt having a depth at least substantially equal to one-half of its dlameter and having an annular shoulder receiving recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a' coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on.

6. A catchup cap comprising a sealing top having a depending corrugated skirt having a depth at least substantially equal to onehalf of its diameter and having an annular shoulder receiving recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap, may be removed rand thereafter snapped on.

7. A two-piece catchup cap comprising a sealing topy having a depending skirt in`ter locked with said top and having a depth at least substantially 'equal to one-half the diameter of the cap and having an' annular shoulder receiving recess functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon tlre insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on.

8. A cap comprising a sealing top, a depending skirt provided with a'shoulder recelving recess conforming to the shape of the shoulder of the container and functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the holding, element 'having a reinforcing crimped edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed.

9. A cap comprising a sealing top, adepending skirt provided with a shoulder receiving recess conforming to the shape of the shoulder of the container and function, ing as a holding element, the skirt below the holding element having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap .may be removed.

10. A catchup cap comprising a sealing top, a depending skirt having a length at least substantially equal toone-half the diameter of the cap and provided adjacent to its lower edge with an annular sho-ulder receiving recess shaped to conform tothe i shoulder of acontainer and functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the holding element having a reinforcing crimped hemmed edge inclined outwardly whereby upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be l removed.

11. A metal cap comprising a top and a depending skirt having an annular shoulder receiving recess adjacent to its lower edge and conforming to the shape of the shoulder of a container, and also having below said annular recess ay flaring crimped edge.

12. A metal cap comprising a top and a depending skirt having an annular shoulderv `rece1ving recess adjacent to its lower edge and conforming to the shape of the shoulden of a container, and also having belowsaid anular recess a Haring crimped hemmed e ge. l

13. A sealed catchup package comprising a container having an' annular shoulder spaced from the top thereof, a cap comprising a sealing top having a depending skirt having an annular shoulder receiving recess substantially conforming to the shape of the' shoulder of the container and functioningV 174. A sealed catchupy package comprisingY a container having a shoulder spaced from the top thereof2 and a cap' compirising a sealing top having -a depending s irt having a depth at least substantially equal to one-half the diameter of the cap and having an annular shoulder receiving recess substantially conforming to the shape of the shoulder of the container and functioning as a holding element, the skirt below the recess having a reinforced crimped and hemmed 20 edge inclined outwardly whereby` upon the insertion of a coin the cap may be removed and thereafter snapped on. Y

15. The method of making a. metal cap of relatively thin sheet metal which consists in interlocking a previously formed cylinderY forming a skirt with a top, and forming in said skirt reinforcing corrugations, and

providing said skirt withY an outwardly Vthe container to form in 'said skirt an an-Y nular shoulder-'receiving recess. substantially conforming to the shape of the shoulder of the container, and thereby locking the cap on to the container.

signed at'nrookiyn, N. Y. this 9th-"day i of January, 1923. i

JAMES STER ING B. SMITH. 

